The Magic City Classic, the annual matchup between Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University, has emerged as the No. 1 classic football game among historically black colleges and universities.

Last year's battle between the state's two largest historically black universities was projected to have a $12.8 million economic impact on the region, according to the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau. That ranks it behind only the Talladega Superspeedway's two NASCAR races and the Regions Charity Classic among the region's annual sporting events.